Reversal of brain dysfunction with UV-A1 irradiation in a patient with systemic lupus

Abstract

Low-dose ultraviolet A-1 (UV-A1; 340-400nm) bodily irradiation significantly reduces clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). As neuropsychiatric-likesymptoms respond prominently, a single patient was selected to undergo positron emission tomography (PET) before and after therapy to determine the effects of the therapy on the brain. The functional changes in ¹⁸F-deoxyglucose uptake as determined by PET imaging in this SLE patient indicated that improvement in brain function paralleled the reversal of cognitive deficits noted after the administration 160kJ of bodily UV-A1 irradiationadministeredthree times a week. Also of interest is that the UV-A1 irradiation, for the first time, ameliorated discoid lupus rashes, presumably due to a systemic action, as the lesions were for the first time covered during therapy.